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Part 6 of Muse of Fanfic
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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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2020-11-05
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Reinstated Employee

Summary:

SUMMARY: Zeus, with some assistance, does the ritual that will return Strife to life once Hades releases his shade.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

 

-*-
Reinstated Employee
Muse of Fanfic VI
by Scorpio
-*-

The large white and gold spell casting room on the 47th floor of Olympus Inc was slowly being prepared for the return of Strife. The mystical symbols were being drawn on the floor in the required mixture of yellow clay from one of Gaia's sacred groves, water blessed by Poseidon, ash from the bottom of Hestia's personal hearth and three drops of Eris' blood. Apollo and Ares were using that mixture to paint all of the symbols by hand since one of them was Strife's former boss and the other would be his future boss. Aphrodite followed behind setting a single candle and a small offering of some sort at the base of each symbol. Zeus stood off to the side trying to supervise their efforts, but Demeter and Hera were each clutching one of his arms and demanding his attention. It was quite distracting.

DEMETER: It's hard to believe that Strife is actually good at his job. I mean, I remember him as this young foolish thing that was always up to no good and getting into trouble, but I suppose that everyone has to grow up sometime...even idiots.

Zeus flashed her a dark look, but didn't comment.

HERA: I just think it's a lovely idea. I mean...he never really had a chance to reach his full potential since he died so young. This way, I get my grandbaby back...and Zeus doesn't have to sleep with 'Nemy.

Zeus blinked at that thought and wondered why that was a good thing. With an internal shrug, he guessed that from his wife's point of view him not sleeping with other goddesses was a bonus. He didn't tend to agree. Demeter merely shrugged that off and continued with her babbling.

DEMETER: While I'm personally not looking forward to the return of all his nasty little jokes and pranks, I am sort of happy about stealing one of Hades' best workers.

The Goddess of the Harvest twisted her face into a look that was almost hopeful.

DEMETER: Do you think that the loss of Strife will cause a huge breakdown of that old Ghoul's workforce? I mean, maybe his replacement will screw-up big time and I can...I mean, *we* can sit back and snicker up our sleeves at that gruesome daughter-stealing zombie of a man.

Zeus frowned and was about to reprimand Demeter for being unnecessarily cruel until he remembered his "payment" for the return of Eris' only son.

ZEUS: Well, if that's what happens, I'll make a window to his realm, you bring the popcorn and we'll laugh at that old reprobate together.

He snorted air out of his nose in annoyance.

ZEUS: For what he's charging me, for my own *grandson*, I might add...you'd think I was buying back mother and father.

All three of them paused and shuddered at the thought of having Chronos running about. Although it would be nice to see Rhea again, she never went anywhere without her husband.

Obviously trying to push away dark thoughts of their unhappy childhood, Demeter looked back up at Zeus.

DEMETER: So...what did he charge? For Strife, I mean?

Zeus scowled, a thunderous look on his face and Demeter smiled widely at this show of anger at her hated rival for Persephone's affections.

ZEUS: He wants cable tv installed throughout all levels of the Underworld. For free! Something about romance movies in the Elusion Fields, action flicks in the Plains of Asphodel and children's programming starring Barney the Purple Dinosaur in Tartarus.

Hera and Demeter snickered at the thought of all of the damned souls in Tartarus being forced to watch hours and hours of a giant purple dinosaur singing about love and joy and happiness...three things that those unfortunates would never have again.

Zeus ignored their mirth and continued his tirade.

ZEUS: He also demanded that I side with him on one vote of the Twelve...and he gets to choose which vote to call that marker in on.

Demeter's smile fell at that one.

DEMETER: Oh?

Zeus merely nodded, his own anger distracting him so that he didn't notice her lack of amusement.

ZEUS: Then, on top of it all, he demanded that he gets two weeks vacation a year during the summer months so that he could visit Persephone.

Demeter slowly began to turn red and sprout thorns. Big thick long ones that were most likely poisonous enough to cause an itchy rash if you got scratched by one. Zeus stepped back and turned his frown on her.

ZEUS: Don't even start that. What's done is done and a deal is a deal. Every summer for two weeks, Hades will be here in Olympus enjoying his vacation. That's final. If you want to turn all of his garden plants into poison ivy? Fine. If you want to pelt him with a shower of corn cobs every time he walks outside? Fine. If you want to assign so many jobs to 'Seph so that she's never around? Fine. Just...don't do anything "official", because then I'd be forced to rule against you. Use your brain about it, don't just go off like a canon.

Demeter glared at Zeus with a narrow eyed look that spoke of vast acres of crops withering on the vine and masses of starving children suffering from famine, but then she suddenly paused, smiled and nodded agreeably. Zeus swallowed nervously. He didn't like it when the women of his family gave in too easy. It made him think that they had a back-up plan that he would like even less.

HERA: Don't worry, Dem. It's worth it if it means that my pookie-bear didn't have to break his vows. I'm so very very proud of him and his newfound control.

Zeus turned to his cooing wife as she tickled at his newly styled, and much shorter, beard. Her eyes twinkled and her smile was coy. Mildly confused at her behavior, he smiled his most charming smile back at her and was amazed when she nearly melted.

He grinned wolfishly. Maybe this whole "keep the wife happy" thing had it's perks. Although, he didn't think that he should tell her that he'd propositioned 'Nemy but she'd turned him down and *that* was why he'd stayed faithful. What Hera didn't know wouldn't come back to bite him on the ass.

ZEUS: I'm no longer a young and foolish God and I *do* love you, my dear.

Hera cooed and leaned up against him, her green eyes wide with joy. Zeus tucked this handy little revelation into a secured pocket of his mind. This was too important to forget and lessons learned late in life were better than never learned at all.

Finally, a throat being cleared caught his attention and he turned from Hera to see Apollo, Ares and Dite looking at him. Apollo and Ares looked excited and worried about the spell, but Dite was smirking at him and making little gestures at Hera before giving him a big thumbs up. He couldn't prevent the huge smile that erupted on his face at that confirmation that he was going to "get some" tonight.

ARES: We're done here. How are things at Hades' end of it?

With a nod and a quick glance over the painted designs and symbols to make certain that everything was indeed ready, Zeus stepped away from the crowd towards the far end of the room. He muttered under his breath a few words to shape his power and then swung his arm in a wide arcing circle. Sizzling lightening trailed from his hand, not in a streaking bolt, but in a gently curving ellipse even as thunder rolled across the room and rattled the windows in their casings. The lightening formed a complete circle of crackling spitting living electricity before a blinding flash of light and a deafening boom solidified it into a sparkling and glittering window.

At first the window was hazy, but then it began to swirl with colors that soon darkened into streaks of black, gray and purple. Those streaks quickly formed into recognizable shapes. It was one of the spell casting rooms in Hades' office tower in Asphodel. Darkly cloaked forms scurried about in the background, but then someone stepped up to the mystical window and everyone could clearly see Hades smiling back at them.

HADES: Hello my brother. Sister.

Hades' eyes shifted from Zeus and Hera towards Demeter.

HADES: Harridan.

Demeter began to turn red again, but Zeus waved her back and shushed her. A snort of amusement came from Ares, but Zeus ignored his son even as Hades looked over at the War God and winked conspiratorially.

ZEUS: We are completed with our preparations. So, as soon as you are ready to release Strife's shade, we can get into position to draw him here and reform his living body.

HADES: Excellent.

The God of the Dead turned then and waved someone over to the window.

HADES: And here's our project now...

Then, Strife walked into view of the mystical window. His skin was unnaturally pale and his inky hair was still spiked up. He was wearing black leather, but it didn't have all of the safety pins that his former armor had. Instead, he was wearing leather pants, biker boots, a black AC/DC concert t-shirt and a black leather motorcycle jacket that was decorated with metal jingling chains and small metal spikes. He also had on fingerless leather riding gloves and a black bandana with little white skulls all over it that was wrapped around his forehead. He was in appearance a "Hell's Angel"...and
that was beyond his general job description as the Assistant Administrator in Tartarus.

Strife offered a smile and slight bow to Zeus and Hera.

STRIFE: Grandma, Granddad.

Then, his eyes automatically found Ares in the background and his grin became wide and slightly insane looking. He bounced on his toes twice and tossed a small wave.

STRIFE: Hey 'Unc!

ARES: Long time no see. What? About...a month since my last visit?

Strife nodded and then busted up into manic giggles, no doubt remembering the War God's visit and the trouble they had undoubtedly stirred up together. Apollo, for his part, was paling beneath his tan and beginning to sweat as he got his first look at Strife in over two thousand years. He was officially
afraid now. How in the name of Chaos did his father think he was going to be able to teach a *war god* how to be a *muse*?

However, before Apollo could work himself up into a proper panic...one that would give his nephew Phobos as good jolt of energy, Hades' face came back into view and the God of the Dead began speaking.

HADES: We just finished up our preparations. I'm going to cast the spell now, so get in position.

ZEUS: Okay. I'll contact you later and inform you of our results.

Hades nodded once and then walked away from the window with Strife. Then, with a snap of Zeus' fingers, the mystical window dissolved in a shower of hissing sparkles that left little scorch marks on the floor. Apollo was going to suggest that maybe this wasn't such a good idea when Zeus began to herd them all to their proper spots and Aphrodite bounced in excitement so that her heaving bosom distracted him.

APHRODITE: Oh! This is *so* exciting. And dramatic. I can do dramatic.

Zeus grinned at his daughter and then looked about to make sure everyone was ready. Satisfied, he tipped his head back and opened his godly senses to try and locate Strife's released shade. It took a moment or two, but then he found the boy wandering about lost in the ruins of what was once a thriving city devoted to his son Ares. With a start, Zeus realized that it was the same spot that Strife had been killed and that it was Ares himself that had razed the area in his grief over the death of the Mischief God.

Pulling his thoughts out of the past, Zeus latched onto Strife's shade with his power and pulled him up to Olympus and into the very room they were standing in. A filmy and transparent image of Strife formed in the center of the symbols painted on the floor for his spirit had no substance anywhere but in the Underworld.

ZEUS: Now! Focus your power *now*!

Then, all six of the Gods and Goddesses focused their power directly on the wavering form of the dead God in their midst. The energy was sent with one purpose...to reform the living body of the dead spirit.

Strife seemed to pulse and glow as he writhed soundlessly. A pained expression was twisting his face as he thrashed. Little-by-little, his form became more solid, more real. A low, barely heard cry of pain began to reach everyone's ears.

ZEUS: More energy! I need you to send more.

There was a deepening of the intensity of the various energy levels and several groans resounded from some of the Gods. Strife thrashed even harder as his image flickered once, twice and then with a loud bang and a bright flare of light he became truly solid. The young God fell to the floor in a heap and was still for one long horrifying moment. Then, with a shudder and a gasp, Strife drew breath for the first time in over two thousand years.

Hastily banishing the painted symbols with one wave of his hand, they all rushed forward to inspect the newest Muse. Ares pulled Strife up from the floor and into the cradle of his arms even as he brushed a lock of hair that had escaped it's bandana out of Strife's pale blue eyes.

STRIFE: 'Unc?

Ares almost sobbed in relief at Strife's raspy and pain filled voice.

ARES: Yeah, Strife?

The newly risen God coughed once and then groaned before looking back up at his former boss.

STRIFE: That sucked! I don't wanna do that again.

Ares just chuckled loudly while Dite and Hera tried to cover their own snickers with their hands. Apollo seemed to be having second thoughts and Demeter...well, who knew what Demeter thought when she wasn't focusing her attention on Hades. Zeus simply reached out to pat Strife's hand gently.

ZEUS: Don't worry, my boy. I've all ready decided that you should get two weeks time to readjust to being alive and to learn the layout of the new city here. After that, we'll start your training as the Muse of Fanfic.

Strife startled and then went very still.

STRIFE: Muse? I'm gonna be a Muse?

Everyone exchanged blank glances and Strife looked confused and mildly panicked.

STRIFE: N...not a war god? I'm...I'm not Mischief anymore?

With slowly dawning understanding, Zeus frowned.

ZEUS: Didn't Hades tell you?

Strife shook his head slowly.

STRIFE: No...he just said that ya had a job for me an' that you'd explain th' details when I got here.

Zeus patted Strife's hand again in an attempt to be reassuring, but it probably didn't work since his face was a scowling thundercloud of anger. Demeter was grinning in glee at the thought of Hades being in the doghouse and Strife merely looked panicky and confused.

Zeus stood up and walked away muttering about cable boxes that went on the blink, static-y signals on the pay channels and broken descramblers for the Playboy channel. Oddly enough, it was Hera that offered that little bit of hope to the confused Godling.

HERA: There, there, child. I don't think *anything* can take the Mischief out of you. Heck, not even death managed to do that. Being a Muse is a wonderful thing...and just think of the mischief that you can cause for all of those artists...

Still wobbly and confused, Strife merely nodded his head.

-*-

 

Here ends "Muse of Fanfic". It will be continued in the next series of six stories called "Probation Period" and will cover that first couple of days at Strife's new job where he is trained and then reviewed to make sure he knows what he is doing before he is 'let loose to be creative'.

 

SCORPIO
[scorpiofic@aol.com]
http://members.tripod.com/sentinel-cat/Scorpio

Notes:

This orphaned work was originally on Pejas WWOMB posted by author Scorpio.
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